حَرْفٌ

The extremity, verge, border, margin, brink, brow, side, or edge, (S, Mgh, * K, TA,) of anything; (S, K;) as, for instance, the side of a river or rivulet, and of a ship or boat, (TA,) and of the notch of an arrow; (Msb;) and the edge of a sword: (L, TA:) plural [of mult. حُرُوفٌ, and of pauc.] أَحْرُفٌ. (TA.) Hence, (S,) [A point, a ridge, a brow, and a ledge, of a mountain:] the pointed, sharp, or edged, summit of a mountain: (S, Msb, K:) a projecting portion in the side of a mountain, in form like a small دُكَّان [i. e. bench] or the like: and a portion in the summit of a mountain, having a thin edge, or ridge, rising above the upper part of the back: (Sh, TA:) plural (of the word thus used in relation to a mountain, TA) حِرَفٌ; (Fr, S, Msb, K;) according to Fr, (Msb,) the only instance of the kind except طِلَلٌ as plural of طَلٌّ. (Msb, K.) [Hence, also,] A nib, of a writing-reed, obliquely cut: so in the phrase قَلَمٌ لَا حَرْفَ لَهُ, in the S and K in article جزم, a writingreed not having a nib obliquely cut. (TA in that article [See 2 in the present article]) And حَرْفَا الرَّأْسِ The two lateral halves of the head. (TA.) [Hence, also, the phrase] فُلَانٌ عَلَى حَرْفٍ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ [and بِحَرْفٍ مِنْهُ (see 3, first sentence,)] Such a one is [standing] aloof with respect to his affair, (عَلَى نَاحِيَةٍ مِنْهُ, ISd, TA,) [in suspense,] waiting, and looking to the result, if he see, in regarding it from one side, what he likes; (TA;) turning from it if he see what does not please him. (ISd, TA.) The saying, in the Qur'an, 22:11, وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللّٰهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ means And of men is he who serves God standing aloof with respect to religion, in a fluctuating state, like him who is in the outskirts of the army, who, if sure of victory and spoil, stands firm, and otherwise flees: (Ksh, Bd: *) or the meaning is, who serves God in doubt, or suspense, (Zj, K, Jel,) being unsteady like him who alights and abides upon the حَرْف [i. e. point, or ridge, or brow,] of a mountain: (Jel:) or in a state of disquietude respecting his case; (Ibn- 'Arafeh, K;) i. e. not entering into the religion firmly, or steadily: (K:) or who serves God in one mode of circumstances; i. e. when in ample circumstances, and not when straitened in circumstances; (Az, S, K;) as though good fortune and plenty were one side, and an evil state were another side: (Az, TA:) [hence,] حَرْفٌ sometimes signifies a mode, or manner, and a way. (Msb.)

A letter of the alphabet: plural حُرُوفٌ: (S, Msb, K:) the letters being thus called because they are the extremities of the word [and of the syllable]. (Kull.) The saying of the lawyers, تُبْطَلُ الصَّلَاةَ بِحَرْفٍ مُفْهِمٍ [Prayer is made null by a significant letter] means only by an imperative of a verb of which the first and last radical letters are infirm; such as فِ from وَفَى, and قِ from وَقَى, and the like. (Msb.)

As a grammatical term, (assumed tropical:) [A particle; i. e.] what is used to express a meaning, and is not a noun nor a verb: every other definition of it is bad: (K:) plural حُرُوفٌ. (Msb, &c.)

And (tropical:) A word [absolutely: often used in this sense in lexicons &c.]. (Kull.)

A dialect, an idiom, or a mode of expression, peculiar to certain of the Arabs: plural [of pauc.] أَحْرُفٌ: so in the saying (of Mohammad, TA) نَزَلَ القُرْانُ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ The Qur'an has been revealed according to seven dialects, of the dialects of the Arabs: (A'Obeyd, Az, IAth, K:) or this means, according to seven modes, or manners, (Mgh, Msb,) of reading: whence فُلَانٌ يَقْرَأُ بِحَرْفِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ Such a one reads in the manner of reading of Ibn-Mes'ood. (Mgh.)

-A2- Applied to a she-camel, (assumed tropical:) Lean, or light of flesh; or lean, and lank in the belly; (S, K;) and firm, strong, or hardy; likened to the حَرْف of a mountain; (S;) or to the حرف of a sword, (Z, O, TA,) in respect of her leanness, or thinness, and her sharpness and effectiveness in pace; (Z, TA;) or to a letter of the alphabet, meaning the letter ا, in respect of her leanness: (TA:) or excellent, or high-bred, or strong and light and swift, sharp and effective in pace, rendered lean by journeyings; likened to the حرف of a sword: (L:) or emaciated: (S, K:) so As used to say: (S:) but this is inconsistent with Dhu-r-Rummeh's description of a she-camel by the epithets جُمَالِيَّةٌ حَرْفٌ سِنَادٌ: (TA:) [see حَرِيثَةٌ:] or [in the CK “ and ”] great; big; of great size; (K, TA;) likened to the حرف of a mountain: (TA:) it is applied only to a she-camel: one may not say جَمَلٌ حَرْفٌ. (IAar, TA.)